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Expert on Graham-Cassidy: Flexibility for States is Only Flexibility to Cut

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Updated: 6:31 PM EDT Sep 22, 2017

Expert on Graham-Cassidy: Flexibility for States is Only Flexibility to Cut

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Updated: 6:31 PM EDT Sep 22, 2017

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WEBVTT rtSOLEDAD: I'M SOLEDAD O'BRIEN.WELCOME TO "MAFA REPUBLICANS ARTONE LAE PINNING THEIR HOPES FOR AN OBAMACARE REPEAL A BILL INTRODUCED BY SENATORS LINrtDSEY GRAHAM OF SO AND BILL CASSIDY OF LOUISIANA.THE GRAHAM-CASSIDY BILL WOULD KEEP MUCH OF THE OBAMACARE TAX rtSTRUCTURE NS OF FUNDING MEDICAID AND DIRECTLY, THE MONEY WOULD GO TO STATES AS A BLOCK GRANT.TH GIVES STATES THE rtRESPONSIBILIGN THEIR OWN HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS.A FEW KEY POINTS.THE BILL LETS STATES O OF MANY OBAMACARE REGULATIONS ALLOWING STATES TO REDEFINE rtESSENTIAL BENEFITS.E MEDICAID E SUBSIDY FUNDING WOULD BE CUT GOING TO Z NEXT DECADE.FUNDING TO SS rtIS CAPPED SO IT WON'T GO UP AND DOWN WITH THEECONOMY.CRITICS SAY THE STATES THAT EXPANDED MEDICAID UNDER OBAMACARE rtAND ADDED PELE THE INSURANCE MARKETPLACE WILL .SUPPORTS SAY IT WILL INCENTIVIZEEFFICIENCIES AT THE STATE LEVEL rtPROFESSOR FOCUS HEALTH INSURANCE REFORMS AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY'S HEALTH TO HAVE YOU.SABRINA: THANK YOU.T DOES THAT rtINCENTIVIZE EFIS THAT, IN FACT, TRUE?SABR BOTTOM LINE IS THEY'LL BE CUTTING ABOUT $250rtBILLION OUT OF FEDERAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS PARTICUL F LOW INCOME PEOPLE.SO EFFICIENCY, BASICALLY, MEANS rtSTATES WILL HAVE TO DECIDE HOW DEEPLY TSOLEDAD: DONALD TRUMP TWEETED "IrtWOULD NOT SIGN GRAHAM-CASSIDY IFIT DID NOT INCLUDE COVERAGE OF PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS.IT DOES!rtA GREAT BILL, REPEAL AND REPLACE."IS THAT IN FACT TRUE THAT IT DOES INCLUDE COVERAGE OF PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS?SABRINrtA: WELL, NOT REALLY.SO WHAT THE BILL WOULD DO IS ALLOW STATES TO HAVE INSURANCE COMPANIES CH PEOPLE MORE rtBASED ON THEIR HEALTH STATUS.SO IF YOU HAD CANCER OR WERE HAVING A BABY, THEY COULD CHARGErtYOU ANY PREMIUD AND THE TRUTH IS THAT IF YOU HAVE A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION IT'S WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FIND AFFORE COVERAGE.rtSOLEDAD: THEN YOU HAVECA THIS I INTERVIEW.GRAHAM-CASSIDY WILL INSURE MORE FOLKS AND WE PROTECTrt THOSE WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIGRAHAM-CASS INSURE MORE PEOPLE?SABRINA: IT'S JUE MATH.YOU CAN'T CUT $240 BILLION OUT rtOF THESE FEDERAL PROGRAMS, TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM STATES THArtAIENROLLMENT IN THESE MARKETPLACESAND COVER MORE PEOPLE.IT'S JUST SIMPLE MATH.IT'S IMPOSSIBLE.SO WHILE WE DON'T HAVE AN OF THE rtNONPARTISAN BUDGET OFFIC I WOULD SAY IT'S GOING TO BE ANYWHERE FROM 20 TO 30 MILLION rtPEOPLE WHO WILL LOSE COV BILL.SOLEDAD: HERE ARE OTHER SPECIFICS.FUND BLOCKGRANTS TO STATES SO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CRITICS OF THE BILL rtWOULD SAY THIS IS GREAT NEWS FORTHE STATSABRINA: THE STATES GET FLEXIBILITY UNDER THIS BILL.BUT IT'S FLEXIBILITY ON WHAT TO rtCUT AND HAVE TOMAKE SOME REALLY POLITG DECISIO.WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT 2/3 OF THE MEDICAID BUDGET GOES TO CARErtFOR THE ELDERLY AND THE DISABLED.HALF O IN THIS COUNTRY ARE PAID FOR B THE MEDICAID PROGRAM.WHEN YOU'RE A STATE LEGISLATORrt, YOU HAVE TO DO I GO AFTERGRANDMA?DO I GO AFTER THE BABIES?DISABLED PEOPLE?THIS IS -- THIS IS A LOSE/LOSE rtFOR STATES.SOLEDAD: MONEY FOR MEDICAID EXPANSION WILL BE ZERO EVENTUALLY IN 2026 I THINK IS THE DATE.SABRINA: RIGHT THIS IS ESSENTIALLY rtTAKING OBAMACARE'S COVERAGE EXPANSION AND TO BE CLEAR, WE 20 PLUS MILLION PEOPLE WHO GAI COVERAGE UNDERTHE AFFORDABLE CE ACT.rtIT JUST REVERTS BACK TO BEFORE THE A.A.PASSED.IT ELIMINATES ALL THAT COVERAGE GAI MANY ELECTED OFFICIALS KNOW THAT CUTTINrtG MEDICAID AND MEDICARE IS THE THIRD RAIL OF POLITICS, RIGHT?THOSE WOL NEVER COME OUTOF THEIR MOUTHS BECAUSE THEY rtRECOGNIZ IT'S VERY, VERY CHALLENGING.ARE THEY LYING IF THEY SAY WE'RENOT GOING TO CUT MEDICAID?SABRINA: THIS IS A MASSIVE CUT TO NOT JUST MEDICAID EXPANSION rtBUT TO THE CORE TRADITIONAL M.SOLEDAD: WHERE DO YOU THINK IT GOES?SABRINA: WELL, I'VE BEEN WORKINGIN HEA25 YEARS AND I HAVE NEVER, EVER rtSEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS WHERE SENATORS ARE RUSHINGTEN SOMETHING THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS OF.rtI THINK THERE'S A DECENT CHANCIT SEEMS THAT THE REPUBLICAN Y ETO D FOR THEIR BASE AND THEIR BIG rtDONORS THAT ARE DEMANDING THIS AND THEY'RE UNDERA DEADLINE AND THAT SORT OF CREATES A PERFECT STrtORM OF WHAT ENDS UP ESE MEMBERS.HAPPENING.

Expert on Graham-Cassidy: Flexibility for States is Only Flexibility to Cut

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Updated: 6:31 PM EDT Sep 22, 2017

Senate Republicans could give giving Obamacare repeal one more try with the Graham-Cassidy health care bill. The legislation aims to eventually eliminate funding for the ACA marketplace subsidies and the Medicaid expansion over the next decade. The specific bill text has not been released, nor will the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) be able to fully score the bill before the Senate votes next week. Supporters of the legislation say the bill empowers states, giving them the flexibility they need to craft healthcare policies tailored to their residents. Critics say with the massive federal cuts, block grants and elimination of mandates, the math doesn’t work out for states to afford that cost. Sabrina Corlette, an expert on health insurance reform, sits down with Soledad O’Brien to discuss what we know about the bill and the critical implications.